Colorado prohibits sale of non-ENERGY STAR® certified products

Colorado Governor Polis has signed into law HB 19-1231 requiring that all commercial dishwashers, fryers, hot food-holding cabinets and steam cookers, along with a variety of other devises used in the state, meet or exceed ENERGY STAR® and WaterSense requirements after Jan. 1, 2021.

“ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program and should be exactly that,” said Kevin Fink, CFSP, NAFEM past president and president of Master-Bilt/Nor-Lake, Standex Refrigeration Solutions Group, New Albany, Miss. “Codifying voluntary standards sets a precedent that eviscerates the standard. Doing so is a bad idea.”

NAFEM testified before the Colorado House Transportation and Energy Committee and expressed concerns with making the voluntary ENERGY STAR program a mandatory requirement of selling equipment in the state. We will continue to monitor similar proposed legislation in Conn., Hawaii, Ill., Maine, R.I. and Wash.